How to Drain a Pineapple

Pineapple brings a tropical flavor to many dishes, from salads to cakes to ham glazes. Canned pineapple is preserved in sugar syrup or pineapple juice and needs to have the juices drained for most uses. Save the juice for another use or put it in a glass with ice cubes for a refreshing drink.

Things You'll Need

Knife

Cutting board

Food processor

Colander

Plastic wrap

Brick

Aluminum foil

Sieve

Spoon

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Fresh

Cut the top and bottom off the pineapple. Remove the skin. Cut the pineapple in quarters. Remove the core. Hold the pineapple in your non-dominant hand. Slide the knife along the core against the flesh of the pineapple with the other hand.

Cut the pineapple in chunks. Put in food processor until roughly chopped. Place the chopped pineapple into a colander and the colander into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

Wrap a brick or heavy stone with aluminum foil and place in a zip-top bag. Put the brick on top of the pineapple. Gravity and the weight of the brick will drain juice from the pineapple.

Canned

Open the can. Scoop out the contents. Put into a sieve.

Place the sieve over a bowl to catch the juices. Push the pineapple against the bottom of the sieve to force out additional juice.

Cover the sieve and bowl with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to let gravity force any remaining juices out.

Tips & Warnings

Use only canned pineapple for gelatin desserts. The enzymes in fresh pineapple prohibit the gelatin from setting up.